Transforming Family Stories Into Poetry

Posted December 7, 2023December 20, 2024 in Alumni, Creative Writing, Stories

Reading Time: 4 minutes

An accomplished poet and entrepreneur, Shawn R. Jones is a proud alumna of Rutgers–Camden’s MFA in Creative Writing program. Her debut poetry collection, Date of Birth, earned the 2022 Lexi Rudnitsky First Book Prize in Poetry. Jones’s work has been featured in publications such as Tri-Quarterly, New Ohio Review, Cider Review, Passengers Journal, Rattle, and Essence. Beyond her literary achievements, she co-owns Tailored Tutoring LLC and Kumbaya Academy, Inc., teaches dance at Halliday Dance, and actively participates in the Langston Hughes Society and the poetry performance troupe No River Twice.

For more insight into her multifaceted career and creative journey, read the full profile.

From Psychology to Creative Writing

First, I completed my first year at Arcadia University. I took a few years off before deciding to return to school. Rutgers-Camden was blocks away from my home, so I enrolled in University College-Camden. In 2001, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree. Several years later, I applied to the MFA program and graduated in 2019 with a degree of MFA in Creative Writing from Rutgers-Camden.

The Family Stories That Fueled My Writing

Mostly, I have been inspired by the women in my family. They witnessed and experienced so much trauma that the unspeakable had literally become the unspeakable. I did not know much family history because my maternal grandmother was murdered when I was three. When I asked my great aunt about their childhood, she said, “It is too horrible to even think about.”

At that moment, I thought, I was carrying generations of familial trauma, and I did not know what the details were. It is difficult to explain, but my siblings and I could feel the weight of it. I decided to talk to my grandmother’s youngest sister. She told me she had drafted a book about her family when she was younger, but her husband threw her 400-page manuscript in the trash. It was at that moment that I decided that I was not going to whisper about incest, abuse, racism, neglect, or love. I mean, honestly, for some of my family members, beautiful, consensual, adult love was not up for discussion either because it involved touch, and touch was taboo. I decided I was not going to be scared into silence. With the blessings of my family, Date of Birth was born.

Patrick Rosal and Gregory Pardlo were both supportive and encouraging. Whenever I suffered from imposter syndrome, Patrick would remind me that my voice had value… They also wrote blurbs for my book. For that, I am eternally grateful.
Shawn R. Jones

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Imposter Syndrome and the Voices That Lifted Me

Patrick Rosal and Gregory Pardlo were both supportive and encouraging. Whenever I suffered from imposter syndrome, Patrick would remind me that my voice had value. Gregory, my thesis advisor, was a great listener. He taught me to examine my intention for using particular words and phrases in my work. I put his advice into practice, and it made me a better poet. They also wrote blurbs for my book. For that, I am eternally grateful.

Building a Future Through Words and Stories

I have had a couple of dozen readings over the past year, and I have several readings and workshops scheduled for 2024. I also started a creative writing workshop for students at my center. They continually amaze me with their stories, and working with them also reminds me of why I must continue to listen, write, and teach. My collection can be purchased at your favorite bookstore or online at  Pearson Books.